Zimbabwe Hub

Andy reported Tuesday on the police attack on and subsequent arrest of 44 gay activists in Harare, Zimbabwe, who were meeting peaceably to discuss past infringements of their rights by police. The activists were members of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe, or GALZ:

“Four police officers attempted to gain entry into the premises before calling for back up where about fifteen (anti) riot squad members descended on the office and effected arrest. Thirty one men and thirteen women members were detained overnight at Harare Central Police Station on 11 August 2012.”

Galz claimed that some of the police officers appeared drunk and assaulted most of the members using baton sticks.

“Police, some of them visibly drunk, assaulted most of the members using baton sticks, open hands and clenched fists before detaining them without charge. Such use of force is in direct contradiction to the Global Political Agreement,” Galz said.

Now, Zimeye reports that both the American embassy and the diplomatic delegation from the European Union have condemned the assault:

“The targeting and abusive treatment of non-governmental groups by members of the police is deeply disturbing part of life in Zimbabwe,” the US Embassy in Harare said.

“Too often, the Zimbabwe Republic Police becomes an instrument of political violence for use against citizens exercising their democratic rights, rather than maintaining its proper role of the people’s protector and guardian of law and order.”

The EU welcomes President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s recent public calls for peace and for people to avoid resorting to violence. We encourage all Zimbabweans to join these unambiguous calls against violence and violations of human rights.

Police in Harare, Zimbabwe raided the headquarters of the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), arresting 44 over the weekend, the group reports:

“Galz deplores the arrest of its 44 members who had attended the launch of the Galz Violations Report and a briefing on the second draft of the Zimbabwe constitution on 11 August 2012 at the Galz offices,” Galz said in a statement. “Four police officers attempted to gain entry into the premises before calling for back up where about fifteen (anti) riot squad members descended on the office and effected arrest. Thirty one men and thirteen women members were detained overnight at Harare Central Police Station on 11 August 2012.”

Galz claimed that some of the police officers appeared drunk and assaulted most of the members using baton sticks.

“Police, some of them visibly drunk, assaulted most of the members using baton sticks, open hands and clenched fists before detaining them without charge. Such use of force is in direct contradiction to the Global Political Agreement,” Galz said. The organisation added: “Galz does not condone violence and we are not a threat. Those who cause violence are a threat to public safety and security and we ask that they stay away from our premises.”

Chief Inspector James Sabau said the claims of arrestes are false: “They were only taken for screening. We had received information that people we were looking for were there. So it’s false to say they were arrested and that they slept in the cells.”

Two Zimbabwean men have been arrested after a third party discovered pictures of them "embracing" in bed.

According to New Zimbabwe, one of the men, known only as Andrew, left his phone to charge with employees he knew at a local mobile phone store. One of those employees went through the phone's pictures and found images indicating Andrew and another man from the neighborhood were in a gay relationship. He then called the police, who have confirmed the arrest.

"I can confirm that we have arrested two men who are assisting officers with their investigations following the discovery of a set of images of a sexual nature. No charges have been brought at present," said a police spokesman. The men are still being held.

Not only is homosexuality illegal in Zimbabwe, it's considered an abomination by most of the population and President Robert Mugabe has made a habit of lambasting gay people, whom he likens to "filth."

Same-sex love is so disdained there, in fact, that people who heard about the pictures prior to the arrest gathered around Andrew and his alleged lover and wanted to "mete out instant justice," according to one witness.

As for Andrew, he claimed he and his friend had gotten drunk and "ended up behaving strangely," but that they're not in a relationship.

Not content with being just a standard homophobe, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe claims that gay people are not welcome in his country because they deprive a woman of the opportunity to have children.

"Mothers were given the talent to bear children. That talent doesn't belong to men," Mugabe said at a women's HIV/AIDS human rights conference in Harare.

"When a man says he wants to get married to another man, we in Zimbabwe don't accept it. We can't talk of women's rights at all if we go in that direction. It will lead to extinction."

One Million Moms claims their boycott against JC Penney for their use of lesbian entertainer Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson has cost the department store $163 million. But the AP actually credits the store's new pricing system.

A sickeningly fit New York man named Zachery has been named sexiest male vegetarian by PeTA. He deserves it.

Oh, baby... "Dozens of Roman Catholic dioceses, schools and other institutions sued the Obama administration Monday over a government mandate requiring most employers to provide birth control coverage as part of their employee health plans."

Zimbabwean Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa insists his country does not abuse human rights, but also says they'll never give up their institutionalized hate of gays. "We made it clear that in our law homosexual activities are criminalized and that any person who commits homosexual activities will be arrested," he said.

Rapper 50 Cent supports gay marriage: “I think everyone should be happy. I think a fool is going to go against same sex marriage at this point... I’m up for it. If everyone else is for it, then hey, to each his own. I don’t have personal feelings towards it because I’m not involved in that lifestyle. I want people to be happy. It makes for everything to be better.”

Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt on Cory Booker walking back his critique of the president's campaign's attack on Mitt Romney's past at Bain Capital: "These are his own views in the video. He made absolutely clear that the discussion of Mitt Romney's private sector tenure was legitimate... He released that video of his own volition. We did not ask him to do so."

Anyone who doubts Tilda Swinton can transform herself into legendary character Auntie Mame should take a look at this picture.

The new movie Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean, takes a look at the iconic actor's alleged gay past. "I sometimes suspect the mainstream press still believes queer people were invented in the 1970s, and that before that, everybody was straight and chaste. Well, officially, they might have been -- and studio publicists were tasked with maintaining the facade -- but we know better," says director Matthew Mishory.

Sarah Palin recorded a call urging Texas residents to vote for Ted Cruz for U.S. Senate. The call ran in Kansas.

The Pan American Health Organization last week came out against so-called "gay cures." "Since homosexuality is not a disorder or a disease, it does not require a cure. There is no medical indication for changing sexual orientation," said PAHO Director Dr. Mirta Roses Periago.

Conservative commentator Michelle Malkin on the Manny Pacquiao controversy: "The gay-marriage mob is guilty — of the very ugly bigotry it claims to abhor. And left-wing media outlets are guilty — of stoking false narratives that shamelessly demonize religion in the name of compassion."

Lindsay Lohan has started fittings for her role as Elizabeth Taylor. Think she can pull it off?

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe attacked British Prime Minister David Cameron at a celebration for his 88th birthday over Cameron's recent threat linking aid to African nations lagging in human rights, particularly for LGBT people, AFP reports:

"Nature is nature. It has created male and female," Mugabe told thousands of supporters at his 88th birthday celebration at a stadium in the eastern border town of Mutare.

"You David Cameron, are you suggesting that you don't know that or is it some kind of insanity or part of the culture of Europeans.

"In their newspapers, that's one of my sins. That I called (gays) worse than pigs and dogs because pigs know there are males and females. It's even in the Bible that you create through the system of marrying.

"That's how we were born, so we reject that outright and say to hell with you. I won't even call him a dog because my own dog will complain and say, but what have I done."

Mugabe added: "We won't accept [gay rights in our charter]. There are other countries who have accepted that and put it in their constitutions. Please, young men and women, you don't have the freedom for men to marry men and women to marry women. You have the freedom for men to marry women. That's God's freedom. That's what created you and me."

Watch an Australian news report on the Mugabe gala (which doesn't include the remarks above), AFTER THE JUMP...

Taurai Zhanje, who last week was verbally attacked by many from his local community, pulled out of the contest citing personal reasons. His decision comes after it was revealed that in December last year the first-ever Mr. Gay Namibia, one Hamutenya, was assaulted by men who demanded his winnings soon after he was crowned. Zhanje would not elaborate what he meant by ‘personal reasons.’ The competition says it aims “to advance national and international gay rights through education and public performance”. Zhanje’s intentions had been celebrated by many organisations in the gay community.